The Necromancer with the Rogue Thrall
by Gabriela Romero
Summary: A necromancer with dubious motives brings Bankotsu back to life. She needs to kill the Man with Many Faces, he wishes to have yet another life. Their pact leads to an adventure in Feudal Japan, where they clash with Inuyasha, his gang, and much darker enemies. Along the way feelings unravel, and both might be faced with the ultimate sacrifice yet. Mature for language and content.
1. Chapter 1

**The Necromancer with the Rogue Thrall**

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**_Chapter #1_**

The air was thick with smoke and anticipation. Thick fumes of incense and burnt coal and steam swirled about, a naked man on a stone bed the root of it all. It had started from mere bones, but the dark magic in the room propagated the man's reconstruction. A sort of backwards decomposition had ensued, until he was rebuilt in the flesh.

The necromancer in the room circled the stone bed, admiring her creation. She was covered from head to toe in a robe of the richest blue, which was now stained brown around the sleeves from the blood and the dirt and the gunk. But the worst was now over. For seven days and seven nights she chanted and spat curses and spells, and little by the little the man was reformed to the form before her.

"_By the might of darkness and the power of my blood, Bankotsu of the Band of Seven, take my breath_," She had leant over his mouth, the stench of dead flesh overwhelming her already clouded sense of smell. Her purpled lips hovered over his mouth and in a surge of wild magic the cadaver before her stole all her breath away.

The action left her dizzy, her darkened world spinning, and she fell on a heap by the floor to his side. The body that had once died and rotted came to life. It coughed and spat frantically, as if this breath would be his last. The necromancer remained by her spot on the dirt ground, listening intently to his terrified breathing, also terrified herself. Her dark magic was working, but everything could fall apart at any minute. The first few breaths of any of her corpses were the most crucial; they could live or they could just as easily fall apart. It all depended on how much they desired to live again.

Above her the man moved, his lethargic limbs dragging themselves out onto the floor. His legs held him for a split second, only to give in under his weight. He crumpled by her side, growled in pain and exasperation, and exclaimed, "_Naraku_."

_Naraku?_ "No, you are Bankotsu." Her eyes, the color of moss, stared at him in a mixture of satisfaction and excitement.

There was a pause, then, "Are you the fuck who's trying to bring me back to life?" His naked form hardly fazed her. He got on all fours in front of her, as if trying to appear threatening, but the weakness in his body betrayed his façade.

She stood, dusting her dirtied robes condescendingly, and said, "Yes. I am your Mistress and creator."

He snorted.

"Would you like to have more energy? To feel more alive?"

"You are no one's Mistress."

"Bankotsu, your soul is too greedy to turn me down," she chortled while she circled the cave, back to the small ceramic table that held her necromancy utensils—the potions and scrolls and herbs that made her magic possible. "You have a choice; I give every one of my undead a choice. You can choose to go back to the nothingness I fished you from, or you can live and obey me."

A long silence settled in the room. She wanted to appear as stubborn as he was, but deep down prayed that he chose to be her thrall. She needed the strength of someone such as him. She needed Bankotsu of the Band of Seven, or someone as powerful as him, to kill the Man with Many Faces and save her soul.

"How pretentious of you. I've been brought back to life once already, don't you know? And I refuse to make any pact with devils such as you."

She whipped around. "I am not a devil."

"You fuck around with the undead, what, you think you're a saint? Why thank you, my Mistress, for rescuing my rotted spirit, but guess what, I think it's a little too late."

His blue eyes burned in defiance. They glared at each other, the seconds dragging by a little too uncomfortably for her taste. Should she shut him down? Was this soul a lost cause? Who else could be powerful enough to be a match against the Man with Many Faces? Before she could reach a decision, however, he finally said, "But I suppose you are right. My soul is too fucking greedy to turn this down. What are the terms of my life?"

The necromancer had to suppress the upward curling of her lips. "You are to be my thrall—"

"Yeah, yeah, and what? Kill the cocky hanyou Inuyasha for you? The bitch priestess Kikyo? The dimwit wolf Koga? Maybe fuck you witless? Or warm your bed with romance? What's it gonna be?"

She approached him, twisting her palms in circles and creating swirls of magic the color of her blood. She tossed the wispy energy ball onto his chest, where it was readily absorbed. This was the remaining energy he needed to stand and to live. "No. I don't know who any of them are, and I'll be dammed if I let a _corpse_ have his way with me. I practice necromancy, not necrophilia."

"Naraku?"

"No! Who in the world is this Naraku you keep bringing up?"

Bankotsu approached her and stood before her, omnipotent in all his naked glory. She would have blushed, but was used to the sight from years of necromancy practice. "What do I have to do, little girl?"

He knew of his handsome wiles, and was an expert at using them, for he was making her feel downright uncomfortable. "You will become my protector, and when the time comes, you will aid me in defeating the Man with Many Faces."

Bankotsu lifted her chin up gently, still continuing with his farce to charm her. "Really, is that all you desire? So, do you have a name besides Mistress?"

"Wakahisa Yosei."

"How fucking appropriate."

Her hand shot at his wrist, taking a solid grasp and separating his fingers from her face, "And you're supposed to protect me, not give me the creeps."

He bowed pompously, "As you wish, Mistress."

"Yosei."

"Yosei," his eyes were glinting in amusement the entire time.

"If you wish to live, you are to protect me and do my bidding. If I die, you die. If I'm unhappy, you die. If I can't use you to kill my enemies, you die. Honestly, it should be simple for a mercenary of your caliber. You wish to live, don't you?"

"I'm all yours," the smirk on his lips brought shivers to her very spine. This was the first time she resurrected a thrall with wits and freewill, and certainly the first time she resurrected someone as powerful as him. And something inside her told her he was beginning to realize this as well. Would it be her undoing? The alternatives seemed just as appalling. Bankotsu was her one and only shot at an undammed afterlife, as ironic as it sounded.

Despite how stupid and reckless it was, she was to become the necromancer with the rogue thrall.

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	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter #2**_

Bankotsu saw the steely shades of dawn when he stepped outside. The sky was painted in silvery hues of blues and yellows, the sun barely rising in the horizon. The necromancer Yosei was by the porch of their forest cabin. She sat still and hooded under those dirty, blue robes of hers, like an ethereal apparition, ready to be whisked away at the slightest disturbance.

He knew they were connected somehow, and so she was also able to sense his presence the moment he stepped out. "I never imagined a corpse could sleep as much as you have." Her voice was thick and throaty, as if she wasn't very much used to using it.

His upper lip twitched in annoyance. "I do what I want. What's the rush? I'm a dead thrall, remember?"

"A cheeky, dead thrall."

Bankotsu sensed that she was about to start again with one of her _I'm your Mistress!_ rants, so he quickly added in, "I'm ready to leave, my _most precious Mistress_!"

"_Yosei_," Yosei's mossy greens rolled before she disappeared around to the back of the cabin.

Earlier he had wondered if this was her home, but the place was too empty to be any proper type of dwelling. Besides her necromancy instruments down in the basement, there was hardly a sleeping futon inside. It lacked food, water, to the point that Bankotsu wondered if she was also dead and did not require the basic needs of a human. Of course, that was when he learned that Yosei wasn't human, nor was she demon. She was a sort of magical entity that used her powers to resurrected unfortunate souls, much like himself. The man he was supposed to protect her from, The Man of Many Faces, was also a being like her.

Yosei emerged from the back of the cabin accompanied by a confusing creature that made him recoil in surprise. She tugged on the reigns of a monster with the body of a massive horse, the legs, talons, and head of an eagle, and two massive leathery wings, like that of a dragon. The creature screeched and reigned back at the sight of him. Bankotsu, too, took a step back. "What in the devil's hell is that?" He felt foolish for being frightened of it, after all he was just a thrall, _a dead thrall_, but how the hell else was he supposed to react to this?

"This is Storm. He is also a thrall."

"What kind of god-forsaken creature is he supposed to be?" Eventually Bankotsu approached them. It had a pair of golden eyes that dilated and detailed him in suspicion, as if it were contemplating on whether or not to attack him.

"He is unlike any other. I pieced him together from a mountain horse, a great demon eagle, and a wyvern." Bankotsu was impressed. She was certainly creative. A mount like this would be a formidable opponent to anyone that threatened her safety, if she ever needed protection.

"You are quite paranoid," Bankotsu whistled as he watched her mount the creature named Storm.

"I have enemies, and I am too weak to be of any match against them. All I have is my necromancy." His eyes matched the intensity of hers. He wondered what dangers his association with her would bring him. Perhaps this task was just as dangerous—or exciting!—as the one he had when he worked for Naraku. "So, is the great leader of the Band of Seven scared of a mere chimera?"

"Are you fucking stupid? I would be retarded if I weren't at least concerned about it. I mean, look at it! It looks like death."

Storm reigned back and leered at Bankotsu in response.

"Yeah, yeah, and you have been there and back so come on, you're boring me."

"As you wish, my _most precious bitch Mistress_," Bankotsu, too, leered at her as he climbed up behind her. "You know, I'm useless without my companion," he purred on her ear after Storm took them up to the skies, very well knowing that his proximity was bound to make her uncomfortable.

She wiggled, probably getting the chills, and told him, "Don't even dream it. That demon sword of yours was destroyed."

"_What?"_ His outburst made Storm falter uneasily underneath them.

"Don't scream in my ear!" She smacked his hand, which was wrapped around her waist for support.

This time, more seriously, Bankotsu asked, "What happened to my Banryu?"

"It was destroyed, ok? I don't know how nor care to find out. All I know is that it doesn't exist anymore. Trust me; I tried to acquire it before I resurrected you."

"I'm useless without it." Bankotsu said lamely, slowly letting the news about his Companion sink in.

She tsk'ed. "Nonsense, we'll find you a new weapon." Yosei pointed at the rising sun over the mountain ahead, "The valley ahead is littered with small human villages; we'll surely find one that has a blacksmith that can recommend us some alternatives."

Her suggestion made his blood boil. In a sudden flash of anger, the hand that had wrapped around her waist shot up to grapple at her neck. "Are you suggesting that I make due with a simple, human sword?"

Storm's flight faltered, surely synchronizing Yosei's unease. "Bankotsu, stop it—"

"I am beyond human. Do not insult my capabilities," his whispered words were venomous.

"_Bankotsu_!" She gasped, and at once he realized he was biting off the hand that fed him, so he finally released her.

She breathed, frantically massaging her neck. "You're mad!"

He huffed, "Give me a break. I am a hardened killer. What, did you expect me to be a cuddle bunny ready to massage your feet and cradle you when your Man of Many Faces comes after you?"

"No! I get it! You're a sociopath with a complete disregard for other people's lives, _but you will respect me_."

There was a moment of excruciating silence in which Bankotsu pondered actually jumping off the flying chimera. He _supposed_ he shouldn't be attacking her, but the girl was nothing short of irritating. "Fine. Whatever."

"I don't expect you to use a human weapon, but we have to start our search somewhere. I'm not a warrior, so I don't particularly have a list of demon smiths at my disposal."

"I apologize." He crossed his arms, his eyes on anywhere but the back of her.

Storm flew them over to the green mountainside for less than an hour, an awkward silence settling between them. Upon her command, the thrall began to make its decent at the outskirts of the first village they encountered. And so, after circling the skies once or twice, Storm landed them within the underbrush at the western outskirts of the village, which was now bustling with the day to day tasks of its earlier risers.

"How can you be so sure we'll find a smith here?" He had asked her as they dismounted, and she had simply told him, "Humans never fail to surprise me."

They were a conspicuous pair, he knew; Yosei with her hooded, grimy face, and Bankotsu with his dirty armor and stink of mud and death. The villagers stopped about their business to watch them pass, their pails and scythes and rice bags hanging limply from their hands as they gapped and goggled at them. "The inn is a great place to get information," she had said, striking him as incredibly naïve and stupid. Their only solace, he knew, was that they at least looked human.

"Hold it right there!" Someone bellowed from behind just as they were merely steps away from the local inn. Two armored men rounded on them in a second, probably from the village militia. They carried lances made out of wood and iron that Bankotsu was sure he could snap in a heartbeat. "What business brings you to our peaceful settlement?"

_Oh we're just honeymooners on a tryst_, Bankotsu felt like saying, just to mess with them. Instead, Yosei brusquely answered with another question, "Where is your smith?"

"Let the man speak, you insolent tramp," One said while the other made to pull down her hood. Bankotsu grasped the warrior's wrist before it could come close to her face, stopping him at once.

"Unhand me!"

"Don't get your knickers in a twist, will ya?" Bankotsu nearly laughed in derision when the other one pointed the sharp end of his lance at him.

Soon enough the two soldiers were joined by three more, but before a scuffle could break out, the sound of a terrible horn erupted from the eastern edges of the village. Battle cries and shouts followed, and suddenly the village was enveloped in a great panic.

"What in the devil's hell is going on?" Yosei grumbled beside him.

Bankotsu squinted in the direction of the ruckus but was blinded by the rising sun. It was the screams of agonizing pain and the clashing sounds of steel on steel that gave clue to the massacre that was ensuing. "Bandits," he announced.

He didn't have to wait for Yosei's command; Bankotsu rushed forward, his innards awakening with the sounds of the carnage ahead. He itched for a good fight. He drowned out Yosei's protests behind him—something about her not being sure how much life energy he had a his disposal—and picked up the first steel spear he encountered.

Bankotsu joined the carnage in earnest. The small village militia was no match for the bigger number of outlaws who used the rising sun to shroud themselves in blinding sunlight. He slashed one bandit and parried another, warm blood splattering his face and garments. The spear vibrated in his hands as he blocked and impaled. Five to one they ganged up on him, but this was nothing compared to what Bankotsu could handle. Still, more and more emerged from the bushes outside the village.

Eventually Bankotsu's spear snapped in two, forcing him to use his fists instead. It was when they were overwhelming him that Bankotsu felt a foreign, different sort of sensation inside him. It was worry, concern, terror, yet he knew this wasn't something coming from within him. His adrenaline was on overdrive, pumping hard on his dead veins, to be worrying about trifling things like concern and terror. It was then that a realization dawned on him. Bankotsu whipped around—wincing when the tip of a bandit's spear cut through his side—and met Yosei's eyes. She had a terrified expression plastered on her grimy face. He was synchronizing her emotions, _and she was terrified for his life_.

He wanted to tell her to chill the fuck out, but at that moment she began twirling her hands, creating that wispy energy he had seen just the night before. Yosei split the wispy, crimson ball into smaller versions of itself and shot them forward at the dead bodies that littered the space around him. The corpses came to life much like he had done and began aiding him and the villagers upon her command.

The morning was filled with the dying cries of bandits and villagers alike. Some of the homes to the eastern border had been put to the torch, while the women, the sickly, and the children had been herded in to the inn, which, due to Bankotsu's efforts, was the only building spared from the bandit's destruction. And it was during his last few battles that Bankotsu began experiencing exhaustion unlike anything he had felt before. He glanced at Yosei, wondering if he was just synchronizing how she felt, but she looked to be fine.

Bankotsu stopped to watch the carnage before him, his breathing labored. A dying outlaw went at him with an axe, but Yosei swiftly directed a mindless thrall to take the hit for him. His vision blurred; all he wanted was to give in to the crushing weight over him. Yosei approached him angrily. "What is the matter with you? Fight!" She yelled.

He wanted to sass something back, but lacked the energy to do so.

"I know you're dead, but your body matters, you ungrateful, heartless prick! I toiled for seven days and seven nights to remake you!" She went on again.

"_Oh_… _just shut up_," he told her before doubling over and propelling bouts of red fluid (blood?) out of his mouth. She screamed—a high-pitched, little girl sort of scream—which made him chuckle in sick amusement in-between the bouts of red puke that flowed out of his mouth.

"_What the fuck_? Bankotsu? Get up!"

He had fallen on the ground, the puke and the blood and the dirt and the bandits' remains getting on his braid and clothes, and the last thing he saw before losing consciousness was Yosei's rounded, mossy green eyes, and all he could think was what a terrible necromancer she had been, after all.

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	3. Chapter 3

**_Chapter #3_**

Even after the battle was won, the humans had the nerve to kick her out of their village. "You brought this upon us, you witch! You came with your curse and now we've lost everyone!" Yosei was used to being called a witch, as she was used to being called a curse; she was deemed a curse from the moment she was born—this was not new to her. It wasn't the ignorant name-calling that infuriated her. What pissed her off the most was that they were too blind to recognize that _she had saved them_.

Yosei did not bring the bandits, nor did she have any grievance against the village. The whole ordeal happened because she and Bankotsu came at the exact moment as the band of outlaws. They were passersby, passersby who happened to save the villagers' lives. If anything, the humans should be grateful.

They still kicked her out. The few villagers with any will or energy left in them came at her with their not-so-threatening wooden spears and their all-too-accusing glares and hollered at her to get out. And Yosei would have complied much faster, but alas, she had Bankotsu, limp and unconscious, to think about.

Thankfully for her, Storm sensed her predicament and came to her rescue.

Yosei glared back at the few villagers watching from the sidelines while Storm dug Bankotsu out from the pile of dead bodies. "Imbeciles. You think I brought the bandits upon you?" If it made no matter whether she was innocent or not, why not give them a real curse? She pulled out the small bag that hung from a golden chain around her neck and fingered its contents. The bag contained a mix of dirt and ashes that worked as a medium to her magic. "If a curse is what you think I brought, a curse is what you shall get."

She tossed a pinch of the dust, which was blown and scattered by the soft, morning breeze, and whispered, "Devils, be unleashed, and let not a single soul be at peace."

The wind whispered around her, the demons that prowled the underworld awakening at her command. Half of her felt rotten for cursing the poor villagers, but her pride soon overcame her guilt. The same always happened anytime she tried to be a heroine. Humans would blame and chastise her for their shortcomings, never considering that for once she might be the good guy in the story.

Yosei whirled around and mounted Storm after Bankotsu's limp body was safely secured on the saddle, and off into the skies they went.

They flew for a day to Old Takako's hut. Bankotsu's problem was one Yosei couldn't ignore for long. Something about the way she resurrected him failed them. Mayhap her magic was not strong enough for a thrall like him, or mayhap he wished to seize existing. Either way, right now she didn't have the power to find out, but knew Old Takako would have the answers. _I need Bankotsu—or someone like him—or else _He_ might…_

Old Takako's hut was safely hidden in a haunted grove that teemed with demons as old as the earth itself. Yosei knocked hard on the gnarled door while Storm shook Bankotsu off as if he were a pesky bug. Yosei coughed a giggle when Bankotsu's body hit the ground, landing in an awkward, twisted position.

The door opened by itself, so Yosei dragged Bankotsu's body inside with some difficulty. As usual, the hut reeked of herbs and smoke and old spices. Yosei remembered how terrified she had been the first time she visited Old Takako's. The first time she came through this door was when she first ran away from her family. Back then she had been an idealist and thought the world was a fair place; how she was wrong.

"Well well well, if it isn't the little Yosei," Takako's raspy voice echoed from the depths of her hut. The witch was a chain smoker—she smoked so much Yosei was surprised she still had a voice to speak with. "You've brought me a little present?"

Yosei kicked Bankotsu's body forward and quickly closed the door behind her, very well aware that Takako got angry whenever the fumes of her smoking exited the hut. It was weird; she liked to keep the shit bottled inside.

"No, grandmamma, he's all mine."

Takako lifted herself with some difficulty from her pile of furs and wobbled towards Yosei and the unconscious body. Takako was an ancient, obese woman with a tuft of white hairs over her upper lip, which was amusing, since the hair on her head was noticeably thinning.

"He is cute," the witch said before puffing on her long pipe.

"I brought him back to life… but… he just sort of fell apart."

Yosei always felt on edge when she came to Takako's hut. The hut was filled to the brim with the spirits of ghouls and demons and of unfortunate humans. They were invisible, as most spirits, but Yosei could still feel them roaming around her and all about her. They circled her and whispered unintelligible things in her ear, making the hairs on her back stand on edge.

"Wake him up."

"I can't." Yosei flipped him over and gently brushed the dirt and the hairs from his face.

"Sure you can, child. I said, wake him up. Don't tell me you came all the way to my humble hut just to waste my time."

_Grandmamma, you have all the time in the world_, she wanted to tell her. Instead, Yosei did as she was told. She created the crimson, swirly ball and pushed it right through his chest. Surprisingly enough, Bankotsu took in a desperate gulp of air and woke from his unconscious state.

"But… how?" Yosei's mouth hung open as she watched it happen. Mayhap Old Takako's magic had done all the work this time.

"That won't be enough," Takako tsk'ed and hobbled back to her seat of furs, as if she was done with her diagnosis.

"What the fuck happened?" Bankotsu blurted out angrily the moment his eyes fluttered open. He tried to sit up, but only managed to lean his body awkwardly against the hut's wooden wall.

"You fell dead! And I tried everything to bring you back! I thought you had gone!" Yosei knelt next to him as if he was her child. She was half proud and half relieved that he came to again. "Grandmamma, I don't understand. I tried to resurrect him that way earlier, but it didn't work."

"_Yosei_—" Bankotsu grasped a handful of her robes, pulling her close to him. There was confusion and anger on those determined, blue eyes of him. "I'm not in the mood for games," he said through gritted teeth, "You said you would bring me back to life."

"I thought I taught you better! You disappoint me, Yosei!" Takako bellowed from the other side of the hut. "This is no ordinary thrall. You gave him brains and freewill, but you did not give him enough life to survive."

Both Bankotsu and Yosei looked at her, speechless.

"You will have to give him the breath of life."

_The breath of life_. Yosei knew what that meant, and she did not like it one bit. The breath of life meant that she had to give him a piece of her breath whenever he needed energy, as if she were his feeding stock. It was a more intimate form of resurrection. By doing so, she was taking a piece of her life and giving it to him, each single time.

"Where are we? And what is she talking about?" Bankotsu's questions went ignored.

"Is that the only way?" Yosei's voice was hardly louder than a whisper.

"Yes. If you want this thrall under your service, _properly_, that is what you will have to do."

Yosei's gaze met with Bankotsu's. She could feel his confusion as much as she was sure he could feel her uncertainty. _That is what I will have to do._

"Yosei?" Bankotsu was of a youthful countenance, with dark hair that came as a stark contrast to his pale skin. Yosei detailed him for a second, blushing as she admitted to herself that he was handsome to her; handsome whenever he realized he was at her mercy; handsome until his mouth betrayed the rotted soul that hid underneath. And she had a choice—she could choose to resurrect someone tamer, someone more grateful that would heed her every command, or she could choose to take the gamble that was giving him life. Bankotsu was as unsteady and unpredictable as her most dangerous alchemy experiments.

Mayhap he could sense what she was thinking, for there was uncertainty in those blue eyes of his. Then, she made her decision.

"_Ssh_." Yosei leaned forward, stopping only when her lips were grazing his. She held her breath the entire time until she was close enough, and then she _blew_.

Almost as if he knew what do to, Bankotsu stole all her breath away. Yosei fell backward, her breathing panicked as she tried to regain control over it. Everything about him changed in an instant. Bankotsu was once again strong and omnipotent, no longer restrained by the ambiguity of his living situation. He got up to his feet and towered over her.

He leaned down and for a second Yosei thought he was going to maim her. Instead, he offered her his hand, which she graciously took.

"There you go, all better now," Takako said in amusement, never once bothering to move from her seat. "From now on you will have to do that. Oh and you probably don't have enough energy to sustain more undead besides those two."

"Yeah, _my most precious Mistress_, don't get irresponsible. You nearly killed me when you started resurrecting all those other shitty corpses around me." Bankotsu was back to his usual cheekiness.

Yosei fumed at his nerve. "You're just like those humans! Ungrateful!"

"What?"

Old Takako yawned loudly. "That's exactly why I never bother with intelligent thralls. They have a mind of their own, and you never know when you'll get an annoying one." It was smart of Bankotsu not to sass anything back to the old witch, for she was capable of darker magic Yosei couldn't even fathom to perform. Instead, he just glared at her.

"So, little Yosei, the fact that you've brought this scoundrel back to life means bad news to you, if I had to take a guess." Takako puffed on her long pipe, one eye glinting maliciously at her. She was a demon of the dark arts, a selfish being whose only interest was to keep herself satisfied and content. It made no matter if she had been her mentor once; if the Man of Many Faces came looking for her, Takako would turn her over in a heartbeat.

Bankotsu's gaze went from Yosei to the old woman, back and forth, and Yosei just gulped.

"He's still fixated on you? The demon Ichiroumaru?"

Outside the heavens clamored loudly with an incoming storm.

"He's coming for me—"

"And he won't stop until he takes you _all for himself._" There was amusement in Old Takako's voice. Her lips curled upward, as if she wanted to see it unfold.

The spirits in the hut went into a mad frenzy that only Yosei could sense. They whirled around her, chanting and grunting words of her impending doom that she couldn't quit comprehend. Visions of them flashed in front of her, their faces distorted in sick delight, very well knowing that her struggle would only delay the inevitable. Old Takako must have the sensed just as much, as she had the same twisted smile from the demons of her vision.

Yosei's muscles rippled in uncontrollable shivers and she stepped back. There was no need to imagine what Ichiroumaru wanted with her; she saw it in the spirits' gleeful expressions, in Takako's knowing stare. Yosei didn't get very far though. At that moment Bankotsu grasped her arm and brought her in a tight embrace. He held her close, easing the shivers until she calmed.

His proximity eased her, and it was then that she realized that he _understood_.

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	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter #4**_

The atmosphere in the inn was appalling. Yosei was never one to enjoy the company of people, let alone the company of such an stinky, boisterous jumble of humans. The men were fat and dirty and smelled of shit and blood and the women were just as fat and dirty, but smelled of sex. Liquor was being tossed around between mouth to mouth, and in the center of it all was Bankotsu, surrounded by a huddle of men betting on an arm-wrestling contest that he somehow started.

Yosei sat in the farthest corner of the inn, her hood covering her head just enough so that she was able to witness the insanity of the inn. Being there was never her idea—crowds of humans were something she often avoided. They entered only after Bankotsu bitched and moaned that he missed sake and that he was sick of looking at her dirty face and greasy hair. The passive aggressive insults had been endless, leaving Yosei with no other choice but to let him do whatever he pleased as long as it was under her supervision.

They came in just as the sun had begun to set over the hills, but what Yosei imagined would be a short meal and sake turned into a night-long endeavor.

The unfortunate table that supported the arm-wrestling match rattled loudly just as Bankotsu slammed the arm of his opponent down, winning again for the tenth time. He hooted and was encouraged by cheers. Yosei fumed as a buxom woman handed Bankotsu the heavy pouch of gold that she had been parading around.

"Bankotsu the Mighty wins again!" The woman announced, queueing a crowd of men to approach him and pat him in the shoulder.

"Bankotsu the Mighty… _pfft_," Yosei grumbled under her breath. She only allowed it because she knew they needed whatever gold they could get. Achievements and recognition could only lead to trouble in times like these, though. _What if someone was clever enough to remember that a similarly mighty Bankotsu was beheaded ten years ago? _Oh how the humans would love it if they found out that their arm-wrestling victor was actually an undead wight.

"Who is my next challenger?" Bankotsu hollered at the inn. Several men hooted and raised their fists into the air, but none stepped forward. "Are you really the best this village has to offer?"

Yosei wanted to slap her own face at how stupidly Bankotsu was behaving.

A brute of a man stepped through the crowd and said, "I will be the victor this time!"

The crowd rippled in disagreement with "Not you again!" and boos and "Get out of here, you're drunk!"

Bankotsu calmed the lot by saying, "Alright, as long as you've got something to wager."

The man unsheathed his sword and Yosei was sure a fight was about to break out. Instead, he placed his steel sword and scabbard on the side of the table, saying, "I offer my family's steel." There was an uproar at this as the humans tried to convince him against it, but Bankotsu was in on it the moment he saw the sword. "This sword belonged to my father and his father before him."

"And in return?" Bankotsu plopped himself on the ground beside the low table.

"All the money you've got, of course."

There was a greedy look to Bankotsu's eyes.

_Easy peasy?_

"Alright that's the spirit! Bring it on!" Bankotsu said.

The crowd hollered as they grasped hands. Bankotsu allowed the man to have one—two—seconds in the game before slamming his arm down, through the table—which exploded into splinters—and to the floor. The entire inn—with the exception of Yosei, mind you—erupted in an uproar of cheers and excitement. "Bankotsu the Mighty! Bankotsu the Mighty!" The humans chanted in dissonance. Bankotsu downed the drink that the buxom wench brought him and burst out in cheers, too.

"NOOOOO! IMPOSSIBLE!"

"Well I suppose the family heirloom ends with you, my drunken friend." Bankotsu bowed smugly for the audience and the giant man tried to throw a fit, but was promptly escorted out of the inn by the group of men that now revered their new arm-wrestling champion.

Bankotsu came by her table when the wagers were over and the night had calmed, his cheeks red and his eyes bright. He dropped the scabbarded sword and pouch of gold on her table. "How's that for a night out?" The gleeful look in his eyes made her all the more annoyed and jealous of his good mirth.

"Don't get all cocky with me and think that you've actually done something clever. This whole charade is pretty stupid."

He took a moment to comprehend her insult, his mind boggled with sake. Still, he wasn't all that slow to recover, "Even after I bring you all this gold and spare you the trouble of finding me a weapon, you're still a giant twat."

His comment salted her more than she cared to admit. What was left, if not to escalate the insults? "Do you realize how irresponsible and stupid of you it was to make a ruckus and stand out like that? What if someone recognizes you? What if they realize that Bankotsu the Mighty is actually an undead murderer? The entire village will chase us off with pitchforks."

"You are just pissed because no one would ever take an interest in the likes of you. Not in a million years. I mean look at you—" Bankotsu snatched the pouch of gold and sword and said before leaving, "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go spend my hard-earned gold at a brothel."

"Don't you dare!" She would have screamed at him louder to come back, except she didn't want to make a scene.

Bankotsu spared her one last, coy glance before exiting to the cold of the night. Yosei was fuming. He was such a sleazy, useless slave! What good was he if he was too busy doing some whore when the time came to protect her, like he was meant to? He was just using her to live and was betraying his part of the bargain! How she wished she hadn't spent her energy and life to _give him_ life.

"What a fucking waste," she said between gritted as she, too, left the bustling bar. "Maybe I ought to fly away with Storm and let his life force deplete, then who'll be laughing next?"

Yosei grumbled the entire way out of the village. She felt ugly and inappropriate and knew that humans would never accept her. Come morning, one look at her green eyes and at the red, tattoo markings on her cheeks and they would know that she was not like them. Then, she would be chased out of this shithole with torches and pitchforks and Bankotsu would be too busy being wrapped up in-between some whore's legs to do anything about it.

She was so caught up in her anger at Bankotsu that she failed to notice the shadows that followed behind her. They slithered past houses and alleyways abaft Yosei until she had walked into the depths of the surrounding woods. The stillness of the night was her only indication that something was wrong, but when she finally realized she wasn't alone, it was too late. She whirled around just as the shadows that had pursued her materialized themselves. Five hooded demons surrounded her, their eyes glowing crimson; waiting, stalking.

Yosei licked her lips. She was glad the Man of Many Faces didn't deem her important enough to come fetch her himself. Instead, he sent his band of demon lackeys. "Madam raven, how we've searched for you," one of them stepped forward, his robes so long it slithered. He bowed to keep her at ease, though Yosei knew better. The one next to him was extending a net, while the iron chains belonging to the one to his other side rattled loudly, disturbing the stillness of the forest. They were going to take her in, peacefully or otherwise.

"Come now, milady, Lord Ichiroumaru awaits you."

Yosei thought to back away, yet she was aware that one of them was behind her. She was completely surrounded; trapped in by either one of them anywhere she turned. Her heart clung to her throat, her breathing constricting as she considered how to escape.

"And he can keep waiting forever—you wretched demons. If you are worth anything, pass along the message that I will never be his," Yosei spat before creating a swirl of crimson light that shot out to maim them. They jumped up unscathed, only to land even closer to her in a tighter circle. She choked, growing weaker at her lack of energy. Mayhap she would have stood a chance against all five of them in another time and universe, but not now, for her energy was too spent in feeding her thrall with life. _Bankotsu, where the fuck are you? _

Then the realization came to her. Ichiroumaru did not have to come fetch her himself after all, for she was already too weak to defend her own freedom.

The demons lunged forward to apprehend her and Yosei was left with no other choice but to use the last droplet of magic left in her. She summoned all her strength and transformed into a raven so black it blended into the dark of the night. Her wings allowed her to soar for a few seconds in an useless attempt to fly away, but the demons were faster than that.

They all jumped at once, growling and screeching as they draped her with the net. The air was knocked out of her, her bones aching at the weight of the iron upon her body. It alone was enough to crush her into submission and she fell hard on the gnarled floor. Her magic went out and just like that she transformed back to her human form.

"_Bankotsu—help_—" She whispered but her words were in vain. She didn't even have the energy to summon neither him nor Storm.

"The lord will be pleased, my dearest raven." The demons chortled.

"The pact was made and blood magic cannot be broken."

"Oh how the lord will reward us for returning his wife—" The demon was cut short as a _whoosh!_ came from behind and the air and the leaves went up in a whirlwind. One of the demons was beheaded and the rest were spooked, so Yosei and the net were tossed to the sidelines. She hit her head against a protruding trunk, the impact causing her sight to blur.

Bankotsu emerged from the darkness of the shrubbery with a battle cry, the sword he had just won at his arm-wrestling contest at hand. He slashed at one demon, then the other, pushing them back one by one. They recovered and lunged, and Bankotsu fought them, one against four, until only one was left standing.

There was a reprieve while the demon assimilated that his comrades had been defeated, a reprieve which Bankotsu used to try to spot Yosei in the darkness. "Yosei? _Yosei_!" Those blue eyes of his, that had once looked so coy, searched the woods for any sight of her in concern.

Yosei dragged her aching body towards him, the rustling of the grass catching his attention.

"How dare you interfere with the business of Lord Ichiroumaru? Are you so eager to die, you human pest?" The demon bellowed as his dark magic enveloped Bankotsu.

_No,_ was all Yosei could think. She got to her feet, ignoring the blurring of her vision, and created a crimson energy sphere that she threw in Bankotsu's direction to disperse the darkness. The fog around Bankotsu cleared just as the demon lunged for a lethal blow. Claws bared and robes bellowing, the demon slashed at Bankotsu.

For a moment, Yosei thought it was all over, but Bankotsu was able to dodge and parry the hit. The demon slashed at him one more time, this time his claw clashing against Bankotsu's sword. The force of the demon was such that the steel shattered in two, the sound rattling the stillness of the forest. Bankotsu was the first to recover and he took advantage of the demon's pause to thrust the sharp end of what was left of his sword through the demon's neck. Blood spluttered everywhere and the demon gargled in Bankotsu's arms as the life slipped away from him.

Blood-stained and sweaty, Bankotsu lifted Yosei in his arms. She nestled herself in his embrace, suddenly experiencing a security she hadn't felt in many years. "I never took you as the hero-to-the-rescue type," Yosei murmured, afraid that if she didn't inject their exchange with some sarcasm it would become more meaningful than what it actually was.

"I never took you for an idiot, leaving the village all on your own."

"And while you were preoccupied with other matters?" Yosei asked him as her blurry vision made out the lights of the village ahead.

"Even more so. You know I can't get that gold back, right?" His admittance made her angry… jealous even.

"Must have been easy on the whore, getting free money for nothing."

Bankotsu walked into the bar and without any shame or hesitation paid the tender to give him a room upstairs. The owner recognized him at once and gave him a room. Yosei was dropped quite unceremoniously onto one of the futons laid out for them just as a crew of attendants came into the room to bring them a tub and hot water.

"For you, _my most precious Mistress_," Bankotsu bowed insolently when the attendants left the room.

"Nonsense."

"Are you afraid that you might actually look presentable under all that grime?"

_Well yes_; in a way the dirt was like armor to her. One look at her and any human would be appalled. What better protection against people than that?

"Come on now, you at least have to be decent under all that dirt for some husband to hire a band of demons to fetch you."

Yosei was alarmed. It showed in her face, making Bankotsu's grin all the wider.

"I heard them. Is this Man of Many Faces your _husband_?" He asked.

"You wouldn't understand." She figured Bankotsu was just going to annoy the crap out of her until she got on the water, so she proceeded to shed her hood and yukata. Any lesser girl her age would have been bashful to undress under those eyes of his, but Yosei had seen and experienced enough evil and abuse in her life that she did not care.

Bankotsu's eyes traveled from her bony cleavage, down to her perked nipples, and further down to her shadowed center as he lent her a hand to getting in the tub. "You're not going to scream and call me a pervert for looking at you like most girls out there would?" He finally asked.

Yosei chortled, "Stop kidding yourself. Most girls out there have been raped at least once in their lives. They wouldn't care if someone like you happened to see them naked. Besides, you're my thrall. Calm down." In the dim candlelight, Yosei could see Bankotsu's cheeks turning red, and she felt quite proud of herself for such a feat. Still, her comment brought her back unpleasant memories of when she had been the one spread unwillingly under a cruel, lustful man.

"How about you scrape all that grime off you first and then we can pretend that I would ever be attracted to the likes of you."

His comment made her fume, so she gave her back to him and focused on scrubbing the filth off her body.

"So… help me understand the Man of Many Faces."

A heavy silence hung in the room. She supposed some short truths wouldn't hurt anybody. _Only me…_ "Right. Well… Ichiroumaru—The Man of Many Faces, he and I were married, against my will, obviously. I wasn't even present to conclude the ceremony, but the priest was paid off and he pronounced us man and wife anyways."

"And the angry husband is out to get his wife back so that he can finally consummate his unholy marriage?"

_If only it were as simple as that._ "It's more than a political marriage, it's a pact of magic. I'm not human, I'm sure you've realized, but I'm not demon either. I am conjurer, a being born from the earth and given earthly magic. The types of powers that conjurers can wield are endless; I only know of a mere few all thanks to being apprenticed to Old Takako for some time." Yosei turned to face him, the water a little too snappy for her taste now.

"So he's a conjurer too. And?"

Yosei wondered if Bankotsu was an insensitive asshole on purpose or if he simply lacked any tact with words. "My family never cared to teach me of this magic because of our stupid traditions. A female conjurer is never to master her magic. We are simply conduits to amplifying our conjurer husbands' magic."

"Sounds like the typical tradition of every other high born female in Japan." Bankotsu rolled his eyes. Still, he helped her when she rose from the tub and draped her body in linens.

"I suppose so. Conjurer families are few and far in between, that's why I ended up with Ichiroumaru." She shivered as she explained, "I call him the Man of Many Faces because saying his name brings back bad memories. I rather… not think about him."

She rolled her body in the soft linens and curled herself on top of the futon. Bankotsu began unclasping his armor and Yosei wondered if he was about to strip naked to get in the water. Thankfully for her sanity though, all he did was set his armor aside and settle himself on the futon next to hers.

"So what's the catch? Why does he want you so badly?"

"A conjurer's power after it has been amplified is terrifying—something out of this world. So naturally, he wants it." Yosei paused, afraid that Bankotsu was able to see the hurt in her face. The bane of her existence was her race and family tradition. Oh how happy she would have been if she was born as a lowly human. "We serve our husbands by amplifying their magic and bearing them children. And we amplify their magic by consummating our marriage." She licked her lips, her heart now hurting. "So, yes, you're right. The Man of Many Faces is hunting me to consummate his marriage, and by doing so he will consume me and my power."

Bankotsu's eyes were almost green under the light of the flickering candle. He rolled his body closer to her, making her stomach flutter unpleasantly. "I'm hungry," his words were a mere whisper, yet to her were crystal clear.

"All this talk about consuming my power got you in the mood?"

Bankotsu didn't reply. He inched closer and reduced the distance between their lips, drawing the breath and life from her, and by doing so, fed his soul.

* * *

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	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter #5**_

"We should descend," Yosei had warned.

And just the same Bankotsu had urged, "No. Keep going!"

In a tug of words they battled while the squall raged around them, Storm barely able to hang on. Rain and wind and wet hair slapped Yosei across the face, making it nearly impossible to view the stormy skies ahead. In front of her Bankotsu reigned Storm forward, this time taking control of the mount and forcing him to fly through the cursed rain.

They flew in a fool's journey, following the lead of the legendary demon blacksmith Totosai, who had allegedly taken asylum in a human's castle, pretending to be a human. Such were the rumors, which Yosei had heard more than once. Of course she refused to believe them. A demon blacksmith would never pass off as a human. And what means would he have to hide in a human's castle, the least protected of kinds? Only when Bankotsu heard the rumors, straight out of a courier's mouth while they rested at a roadside inn, he was possessed with the idea of finding the demon forger as soon as possible and at any costs.

Of course Yosei fought him, and of course Bankotsu fought back. She agreed in the end, tired of hearing him complain of how he needed a proper weapon forged by the incomparable Totosai. Bankotsu had crowed and fought and moaned, even saying how he needed his Banryu back if he was ever to stand a chance against the Man of Many Faces. (That card he played quite cunningly, for Yosei would agree to anything as long as it kept her safe and away from Ichiroumaru's clutches).

So they took flight as the sun descended to the west, and in their haste foolishly entered a mountain's storm.

Bankotsu was leading this time. He reigned Storm onwards while Yosei clutch his waist from behind. The rain was so thick Storm was barely able to cut through it like a wretched, ambivalent fly.

Again, Yosei screamed at Bankotsu to descend, but she was sure her words were lost in the turbulence. She couldn't see a thing. How could Bankotsu hope to fly this way?

Yosei released one hand to wipe the wet hair from her eyes. She swiped the water away, making way for more rain. Suddenly Storm quivered in the wind and wrenched them forward. The movement yanked Yosei away from Bankotsu, her other hand losing grip of Bankotsu's slippery clothes.

Screaming, she was hurled out of the mount and into the raging skies.

Bankotsu noticed her falling but it was too late. Storm continued flapping ahead while Bankotsu reigned him to slow, and Yosei screeched and flailed, propelling into the fog of rain.

~~~00000~~~

The life went back into Yosei at the feel of a warm cloth against her temple. She took a deep breath, smelling lavender and bamboo and the distant scent of an earthy stew. Yosei heard voices around her; two females, two males, a child.

Yosei moved the wet cloth from her temples and opened her eyes.

"She's awake!" a feminine, melodious voice cooed.

"What a fall," the second female said.

One of the deeper voices grunted. "It was nothing for her. Told you she ain't human. Should let her loose before she turns on you."

Yosei inched away from them, realizing her clothes weren't thick and sticky and wet with rain anymore. She was wearing a yukata of soft, white linens. She sat up and noticed her wavy hair dried in curls. Wincing, she asked, "Did you groom me?"

The feminine woman, the one who had been swiping at her forehead with the cloth, offered her a warm smile. "We were worried you had broken a bone or something. You fell from the sky and right onto our porch!" She wore revealing clothes, the sort one would see at a brothel, but her face screamed of naïve innocence.

"Like quite an angel," the monk sitting at the corner chuckled warmly.

"Or a demon—more likely," the second male said. His golden eyes watched her with distrust, and at once Yosei understood why. He wasn't just human. He had demon blood.

"You all… are a weird a bunch," Yosei said. Under their stares she felt naked. She was so used to her thick, blue robes and her grime that without them she was entirely exposed. "So I fell," she began, trying to replay the events in her mind, "And you found me, just like that?"

"Yeah. We sort of freaked. Thought you died," said the second female. She wore a high ponytail and the tight outfit of a warrior. "I'm Sango. This is Kagome," she pointed at the trusting female, then at the monk, "That's Miroku," then at the demon-child, "Shippo, and mister scruff over there is Inuyasha."

"Inuyasha," Yosei repeated. "I've heard of you."

That didn't seem to surprise him. "Yeah, so what? Everyone in the region's been wanting a piece of me. And I'll gladly give it. With my Tessaiga." He flexed his fist threateningly, which only fed Yosei with curiosity. It was Bankotsu who had talked of him.

Yosei sat up. She used the inner workings of her necromancy to summon Bankotsu to her location. The bastard better come and find her, and quick. If he dared going to Totosai on his own, without her, there would be hell to pay.

"And you're not afraid of me? You'd just help a stranger?" she asked. She didn't trust their story. Humans didn't just help strangers. That was, unless they had a hefty bounty to collect from the Man of Many Faces...

Kagome shook her head and said, "We'd help anyone. Really."

Yosei swallowed hard. "What have you got to gain?"

"Look, lady, if you wanna be out there in the rain, be our guest!" Inuyasha said as he got up. He headed toward the wooden door and slammed it open, allowing the angled raindrops to sprinkle the entrance. "You can take your filthy clothes, put 'em back on, and be on your merry way!"

"Inuyasha!" Kagome protested.

"No, I'm serious. You and I both know that anytime anybody decides to just "fall" on us, it ends up having something to do with Naraku, and we end up having to pay for it one way or another—"

Kagome shot back, and just like how it was with Yosei and Bankotsu, Inuyasha and Kagome and even their other companions burst into a war of words about "hospitality" and "imminent danger."

Yosei muted them out, watching how the heavens outside continued to rage on. The rain season was in the midst of unleashing one of its nasty moods. If it weren't for her necromancy tying her to Bankotsu, there would be no way he would find her in this weather. She tried calling for him again, her innards screaming at him of her location.

"So what are you?" Sango asked. "Sorry if it sounds rude, but you know, can't ever be too careful these days."

"I'm a demon," Yosei told her.

"Bullshit," Inuyasha spat. "You reek of dirt. You're a full-blooded conjurer if I've ever seen one."

"No!" Miroku gasped. "Seriously? I've only heard of your kind in legend."

Yosei only watched them with distrust. Conjurers were few and far in-between. Anyone who knew of conjurers also knew of… "So you've heard of Ichiroumaru?" she asked them.

"The strongest of them all," Miroku said, "I mean—that's still alive. Why? You work for him?"

A sudden pull in her gut sprung Yosei to her feet. Her abrupt movements startled them, but she ignored them. Yosei stared out at the stormy night outside, squinting while her stomach fluttered in relief. She felt Bankotsu near!

"Is everything alright?" Kagome asked.

"I knew it! She only means trouble for us!" Inuyasha said with his hand on his scabbard.

"My thrall," Yosei said in a whisper, her lips opening in a smile as the light of the hearth reached just far enough for Bankotsu's drenched image to be seen from the darkness.

The humans and the demons also watched him with stupefied expressions as he stepped onto the porch and into the roofed entrance.

"Bankotsu!" Yosei said.

"_My most precious Mistress_."

"Bankotsu of the Band of Seven‽"

"He's alive?"

"What?"

"Impossible!"

"I watched you die!" Inuyasha growled, pulling his sword from its scabbard. The flimsy katana transformed with his movements, turning into something the shape of a demon's fang.

Bankotsu stilled at the entryway, blue eyes going from Yosei to Inuyasha, his expression descending into a scowl. "_Inuyasha._"

Inuyasha pointed the sword at Bankotsu, but Yosei would have none of it. She stepped in-between them, snapping, "Put your sword down, halfbreed."

"Oh, now you calling me halfbreed? You better know I ain't got no problems about killing you with him."

"You're working for Naraku?" Kagome asked Yosei with those innocent eyes rounding in disbelief.

"Who the fuck is Naraku‽" For the millionth time now, the mention of him made Yosei's blood boil. "And why are you threatening my thrall? I swear if you harm him, I will—I will—"

Bankotsu placed an arm on her shoulder. "Yosei. This is the man who killed me last time I was resurrected."

"Killed you?" Inuyasha bellowed. "You killed yourself, you greedy bastard! What're you here for now? Did Naraku bring you back?"

Bankotsu pulled Yosei beside him, away from Tessaiga. "Fool! You saw me die! You saw how that bastard betrayed me! Naraku and I have no ties anymore. In fact, if I do run into him, I'm going to make sure he rues the day he decided to bring me back from the dead."

A tense silence fell in the room. Yosei and Bankotsu stared at the group, who stared back, both parties at a stalemate.

It was Kagome's naiveté that pulled them out of it. "So you're not working for Naraku?" she asked.

"Never again."

"And you're not here to harm us?"

"I came for _my most precious Mistress_."

Yosei blushed quite noticeably.

"This conjurer?" Inuyasha asked with an amused scoff. He lowered his sword at the realization.

Miroku and the rest exchanged amused glances.

"I own Bankotsu," Yosei explained, "And we're only here because I fell off our mount." She turned to him, asking, "What happened to Storm?"

"He ditched me. The beast has no loyalty for me! Tossed me to the storm and took off looking for you. Why don't you summon him already?"

Yosei hugged herself as she stared out at the rain. "Even if I did. We shouldn't fly in this weather." She used her magic again, only this time on her chimera.

Bankotsu scoffed at that.

After fetching linens from a chest, Kagome approached Bankotsu, gingerly offering them. "Here, you probably want to dry up. You'll catch a cold."

Amused, Bankotsu accepted the towels. "Thanks. Not that corpses get sick, now can we?"

"Fucking necromancy," Inuyasha muttered.

Yosei watched the group curiously. "Are we still allowed to stay, or are we not welcomed anymore because of this Naraku person and whatever history you might have with him?"

Kagome exchanged glances with Sango and Miroku before nodding. "Stay."

"Really?" Inuyasha protested.

"Don't make me make you sit," Kagome warned and the rest, with the exception of Yosei and Bankotsu, chuckled.

The invitation was enough to put them at ease. Yosei discovered the room opened up to a spacious outhouse, probably left abandoned by the war. Kagome and Sango had a stew going in an adjacent room, which was packed with game and herbs and roots and medical supplies. "We're staying a couple of days here before heading out," Kagome explained as she handed Yosei a bowl of the hot grub. Yosei thanked her and eagerly took the bowl.

Storm joined them while Yosei sat crossed legged near the wet entryway, slurping the stew. The chimera startled them all again, and after explaining what it was Yosei herded him toward a back room, where a cat demon lay curled up in a ball. Her name was Kirara.

"So tell me Yosei, what's the life like, of a conjurer?" Miroku asked her, taking her by surprise, when Yosei was putting Storm to sleep near Kirara.

"Um—" _It sucks?_ Should she admit it? "It's not the best life for a woman."

"Why? What life isn't the best when you're female?"

"Hey monk, lay off, will you? The only one that's allowed to lay with her is me," Bankotsu drawled while standing by the doorway.

Miroku made a face of disgust at the thought, matching Yosei's expression.

"Is it okay to ask where you were flying to, when the storm hit?" Sango asked from the other room.

"This fool here thinks he can find Totosai in a daimyo's castle," Yosei said as she walked back to the populated room, the one with the warm hearth.

"What you gonna see Totosai for?" Inuyasha asked.

"That's interesting… we're looking for him, too," Kagome said.

"To get him to forge me another Banryu—"

"Like I'd let that happen!" Inuyasha blurted. "Over my dead body I'll let you get that halberd again! What you need it for, huh?"

"I'm a thrall, remember? Fucking idiot," Bankotsu shot back. "You got a problem with that? You better take it up to her." He pointed at Yosei and asked her, "Tell me you got some curse in that bag of yours to put on him."

"I'll be damned—you wanna fight, _corpse_?"

"Gladly, _halfbreed_."

"Inuyasha!" Kagome said, "Sit, boy!"

Inuyasha hit the floor, headfirst, like a boulder had rolled onto him. Yosei gawked while their party chuckled at the power Kagome had over him. She exchange a glance with Bankotsu, who motioned toward an adjacent room and pulled her away.

He walked her from sliding door to sliding door until they reached the back of the house. In their silence Yosei heard the distant sound of thunder and the not-so-distant rain on tarp.

With curious eyes, she asked him, "What is it?"

"I need you to feed me."

Something in her stomach flipped at that. Even if it shouldn't. She was used to this. He was her thrall. "And you had to pull me away to tell me that? What, didn't want your old friends seeing how you feed off your "_most precious Mistress_"?" The thought made Yosei feel inappropriate. In comparison to Kagome and Sango, she sure felt ugly.

"_What?_ Where is this coming from? What's the matter?"

Normally Yosei was never rendered speechless. Never by a human. And never by a dead human at that.

He waited for her with a raised eyebrow.

"Well—are you ashamed of how you're fed? I hope you know it's not by choice—"

Her words stopped when he took a step to her and his fingers grazed her jaw. The feel of his skin was cold. "No. I just want to be fed. In private. Away from them." His head shook in the slightest movement. "I don't want them to know I rely on you this much. I don't want anyone to try to target me through you."

Bankotsu licked his lips and decreased the distance between them. "Besides. This is our moment. It's what we do."

Yosei welcomed the feel of cold lips while her breath was taken away. Yes. It was what they did. But she was beginning to treasure it more than she ought to. She was beginning to look forward to it. He was a corpse, and she was a wed conjurer. And _that_ was the matter.

* * *

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